Key Takeaways
- Globally, 1 in 3 women (about 736 million) worldwide have experienced physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime
- In the United States, more than 12 million people over the age of 18, excluding both current and former intimate partners, experience intimate partner physical violence, sexual violence, or stalking each year
- Approximately 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men in the U.S. have experienced severe physical violence by an intimate partner at some point in their lifetime
- Women aged 18-24 years experience the highest rate of family violence victimization at 12.1 victims per 1,000 persons in Australia
- In the U.S., 91.8% of victims of intimate partner violence are female
- Black women are 35% more likely to experience domestic violence than white women
- Men aged 18-24 account for 27% of all family violence perpetrators in Australia
- In the U.S., 85-95% of domestic violence victims are women abused by male partners, implying male majority perpetrators
- Alcohol use is associated with 40-60% of intimate partner violence incidents by male perpetrators
- IPV victims are 1.5 times more likely to experience depression or anxiety
- Women experiencing IPV have 16% greater risk of HIV infection
- 42% of women who experienced violence report injuries requiring medical attention
- Only 34% of U.S. states have mandatory arrest policies for DV misdemeanors
- In Australia, family violence legislation covers 90% of states with protection orders
- U.S. VAWA reauthorization in 2022 increased funding by 20% to $1.85 billion for DV services
Family violence is a devastating global epidemic affecting millions of women.
Demographics of Perpetrators
- Men aged 18-24 account for 27% of all family violence perpetrators in Australia
- In the U.S., 85-95% of domestic violence victims are women abused by male partners, implying male majority perpetrators
- Alcohol use is associated with 40-60% of intimate partner violence incidents by male perpetrators
- In Australia, 88% of family violence police call-outs involve male perpetrators against female victims
- Perpetrators aged 25-34 commit 30% of domestic homicides in the U.S.
- Unemployed men are 2.5 times more likely to perpetrate IPV
- In the UK, 97% of domestic abuse perpetrators proceeded against are male
- Male perpetrators with criminal histories commit 70% of repeat IPV offenses
- In Canada, 80% of spousal violence offenders are male
- Fathers perpetrate 50% of child abuse in homes with domestic violence
- In India, men with no education perpetrate spousal violence at 52%
- Ex-partners commit 37% of female homicides by intimate partners, often male
- In Australia, Indigenous men are perpetrators in 40% of Indigenous family violence cases
- Male military personnel have 2-4 times higher perpetration rates of IPV
- In the U.S., 22% of male perpetrators report using weapons in IPV assaults
- Perpetrators with mental health issues like PTSD perpetrate 25% more severe violence
- In Brazil, male partners under 30 perpetrate 45% of IPV against adolescents
- Rural male perpetrators in the U.S. use firearms in 57% of female homicides
- In South Africa, male perpetrators with multiple partners increase HIV-related violence
- 60% of male perpetrators witnessed DV in childhood
- In the EU, low-educated male partners perpetrate violence at higher rates (25%)
- Immigrant men in Canada perpetrate spousal violence at 12% vs 8% Canadian-born
- Male abusers control finances in 98% of cases reported to U.S. shelters
- In New Zealand, 85% of family violence prosecutions involve male offenders
- Perpetrators using coercive control are 90% male in UK cases
- In the U.S., bisexual male perpetrators report higher aggression rates
- Disabled male perpetrators show 1.5 times higher recidivism
- In Australia, 75% of male perpetrators have prior police contact for violence
- Adolescent male perpetrators (15-19) commit 20% of teen dating violence
- In the UK, 18-24 year old males are arrested for DA at twice the average rate
Demographics of Perpetrators Interpretation
Demographics of Victims
- Women aged 18-24 years experience the highest rate of family violence victimization at 12.1 victims per 1,000 persons in Australia
- In the U.S., 91.8% of victims of intimate partner violence are female
- Black women are 35% more likely to experience domestic violence than white women
- 94% of intimate partner violence perpetrators are male
- Indigenous women in Australia are 32 times more likely to be hospitalised due to family violence than non-Indigenous women
- In the U.S., 1 in 3 Asian women report experiencing contact sexual violence, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime
- LGBTQ+ individuals experience domestic violence at rates 2-3 times higher than the general population
- In Canada, 61% of female victims of spousal violence are between 25-44 years old
- Pregnant women are more than twice as likely to be victims of homicide compared to non-pregnant women
- In the UK, 73% of domestic abuse-related sexual offences victims were female
- Hispanic women in the U.S. experience intimate partner violence at a rate of 10.4%
- Elderly women over 60 in the U.S. experience a 21% lifetime rate of intimate partner violence
- In Australia, women from non-English speaking backgrounds are 2.7 times more likely to experience family violence
- Transgender individuals face domestic violence rates up to 50% higher than cisgender individuals
- In India, 40% of women aged 15-49 from scheduled castes experience spousal violence
- Rural women in the U.S. are 1.4 times more likely to experience intimate partner violence than urban women
- In South Africa, 40% of female-headed households report violence
- Women with disabilities are 40% more likely to experience domestic violence
- In the EU, women with lower education levels experience partner violence at 27% vs 13% for higher educated
- Muslim women in Western countries report higher rates of IPV at 53%
- In Brazil, 13.5% of adolescent girls aged 15-19 experience partner violence
- Separated/divorced women in Australia experience family violence at rates 7 times higher than married women
- In the U.S., Native American/Alaska Native women experience murder due to IPV at 10 times the rate of white women
- Low-income women in the U.S. report IPV at 27.6% lifetime prevalence
- In Canada, immigrant women experience spousal violence at 34% vs 27% for non-immigrants
- Women in polygamous marriages experience 3.7 times higher violence risk
- In the UK, 77% of DA victims seeking help are women aged 16-59
- Teen dating violence affects 1 in 11 girls and 1 in 15 boys aged 12-18 in the U.S.
- In New Zealand, Pacific women experience family violence hospitalisations at 4 times the rate of European women
- 84% of family violence victims assisted by services in Australia are women
- In the U.S., bisexual women experience IPV at 61.1% lifetime rate
- 75% of calls to U.S. domestic violence hotlines are from women
Demographics of Victims Interpretation
Health and Psychological Impacts
- IPV victims are 1.5 times more likely to experience depression or anxiety
- Women experiencing IPV have 16% greater risk of HIV infection
- 42% of women who experienced violence report injuries requiring medical attention
- IPV during pregnancy leads to 50% increased risk of low birth weight babies
- Female victims of IPV are 2.3 times more likely to experience poor health
- Children witnessing DV are 50% more likely to develop behavioral problems
- IPV survivors have 80% higher risk of heart disease
- 40-60% of IPV victims suffer PTSD symptoms
- In Australia, family violence causes 41,000 hospitalisations annually, mostly women
- Suicide attempt risk is 3.5 times higher for IPV victims
- 35% of battered women present to emergency departments for related injuries
- Child victims of family violence have 74% higher chronic illness risk
- IPV linked to 25% increased stroke risk in women
- 67% of IPV sexual assault victims develop long-term psychological issues
- Asthma exacerbations increase by 50% in children exposed to DV
- Elderly victims experience 20% higher mortality from injuries
- 50% of female homicide victims die from IPV-related strangulation attempts
- Substance abuse disorders are 7 times higher in IPV victims
- In the EU, 68% of women report mental health impacts from partner violence
- Pregnancy IPV increases miscarriage risk by 40%
- 30% of cancer cases in women linked to early-life DV exposure
- Male victims report 40% higher alcohol dependence post-IPV
- Children of DV homes have 3 times higher obesity risk
- 55% of IPV victims miss work due to injuries/mental health
- Neurological damage from repeated head trauma in 62% of chronic victims
- Immune system suppression leads to 24% more infections in victims
- 45% of survivors develop chronic pain syndromes
- Eating disorders 2 times higher in teen DV victims
- 70% of stalked victims suffer severe emotional distress
- Sleep disorders affect 60% of IPV survivors long-term
- Diabetes risk increases by 37% for female IPV victims
- 28% of U.S. employers report productivity loss from DV at $8.3 billion annually
Health and Psychological Impacts Interpretation
Interventions, Policies, and Trends
- Only 34% of U.S. states have mandatory arrest policies for DV misdemeanors
- In Australia, family violence legislation covers 90% of states with protection orders
- U.S. VAWA reauthorization in 2022 increased funding by 20% to $1.85 billion for DV services
- Hotline calls in the U.S. increased 27% during COVID-19 lockdowns to over 1 million
- In the UK, Clare's Law checks reached 200,000 disclosures by 2023
- Batterer intervention programs reduce recidivism by 33% on average
- In Canada, 75% of provinces have specialized DV courts
- Global funding for VAWG programs reached $5.2 billion in 2022
- U.S. shelter capacity meets only 35% of demand for DV victims
- In Australia, risk assessment tools used in 95% of police DV responses
- Pro-arrest policies increased victim reporting by 60% in some U.S. cities
- EU Istanbul Convention ratified by 22 countries, mandating DV prevention
- In India, One Stop Centres assisted 7.79 lakh women since 2015
- DV conviction rates in the U.S. average 50-70% for prosecuted cases
- Telehealth counseling for DV victims increased 300% post-COVID
- In New Zealand, Family Violence Act 2018 integrated responses across agencies
- Gun removal laws in 7 U.S. states reduced DV homicides by 10%
- School-based DV prevention programs reduce dating violence by 50%
- In Brazil, Maria da Penha Law increased convictions by 40% since 2006
- U.S. child welfare referrals for DV homes up 20% with new screening
- Workplace DV policies adopted by 60% of Fortune 500 companies
- In South Africa, Thuthuzela Care Centres handled 50,000 cases since 2006
- Digital tracking apps for protection orders used in 15 U.S. states
- Global helpline accessibility improved with 500+ VAWG hotlines
- Recidivism drops 64% with electronic monitoring of DV offenders
- In the EU, victim support services funded for 90% of member states
- U.S. restraining order violations lead to arrest in only 50% of cases
- Community awareness campaigns reduced tolerance for DV by 25% in pilots
Interventions, Policies, and Trends Interpretation
Prevalence and Incidence
- Globally, 1 in 3 women (about 736 million) worldwide have experienced physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime
- In the United States, more than 12 million people over the age of 18, excluding both current and former intimate partners, experience intimate partner physical violence, sexual violence, or stalking each year
- Approximately 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men in the U.S. have experienced severe physical violence by an intimate partner at some point in their lifetime
- In Australia, 1 in 6 women and 1 in 17 men have experienced an incident of physical and/or sexual violence from a cohabiting partner since the age of 15
- In the EU, 22% of women have experienced physical and/or sexual violence from a partner since the age of 15
- Globally, 38% of all murders of women are committed by intimate partners
- In India, 30% of women aged 15-49 have experienced physical violence since age 15
- In the UK, 1 in 4 women and 1 in 6 to 1 in 10 men will experience domestic violence in their lifetime
- In Canada, 44% of women and 42% of men have experienced at least one incident of emotional or psychological abuse from a partner
- In South Africa, 28% of ever-partnered women aged 18-49 experienced physical or sexual violence by a partner in the past 12 months
- In Brazil, 10% of women reported physical violence by an intimate partner in the past 12 months
- In the U.S., 48.4% of women and 48.8% of men have experienced psychological aggression by an intimate partner in their lifetime
- In England and Wales, police recorded 1,101,303 domestic abuse-related crimes in the year ending March 2023
- In New Zealand, 1 in 3 women and 1 in 8 men have experienced intimate partner violence
- In Mexico, 43.9% of women have suffered some form of violence from their partners
- In Russia, every 5th woman has been subjected to physical violence by a partner
- In Egypt, 31% of ever-married women aged 15-49 have experienced physical violence from a husband at least once
- In the Philippines, 18.7% of women aged 15-49 experienced physical, sexual, or emotional violence from a husband/partner
- In Turkey, 38% of women have experienced physical violence at least once since age 15
- In Kenya, 38% of women aged 15-49 have experienced physical violence since age 15
- In the U.S., about 10 million adults experience domestic violence each year
- In Europe, 1 in 10 women experience rape or attempted rape by a partner
- In Japan, 23.4% of women have experienced intimate partner violence
- In Colombia, 37.1% of women aged 13-49 have suffered partner violence
- In Peru, 51.3% of women have experienced some form of violence in their lifetime
- In Nigeria, 30% of women aged 15-49 have experienced physical violence
- In Bangladesh, 54.3% of ever-married women aged 15-49 have experienced physical or sexual violence from husbands
- In the U.S., 1 in 15 women and 1 in 38 men have been injured as a result of intimate partner violence
- In Scotland, 63,835 incidents of domestic abuse were recorded by Police Scotland in 2022-23
- Nearly half (49%) of all homicides of women globally are committed by intimate partners or family members
Prevalence and Incidence Interpretation
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